This year, May 28 - Youm-e-Takbeer – is being observed accompanying the Youm-e-Takreem Shuhada-e-Pakistan (May 25). Youm-e-Takbeer is the reaffirmation of our unflinching resolve– of being a declared nuclear power– as one of the strongest de facto nuclear powers in the world. There can be no denying the fact that the security of a state is organically linked to its strategic power. Like any de jure or de facto nuclear power state, Pakistan has dual purposes of its nuclear technology: the military and civil uses of nuclear energy. This article argues the most discernible objectives/imperative of our nuclear programme.
Arguably, to be able to deter a militarily superior rival, especially a nuclear adversary, or to acquire military superiority over any enemy or potential enemy or to reduce military dependence upon an ally in particular and on external sources of military hardware in general, or to acquire complete military independence, are frequently expressed factors that influence nations to opt for nuclear option. Against this backdrop, threat from India remains the leitmotif of acquiring and advancing our nuclear weapons capability. Whereas as a most responsible nuclear power state, Pakistan upholds the IAEA endorsed global norms of nuclear safety and security.
Pakistan established a robust and poised nuclear command and control: Pakistan’s nuclear command and control system is considered to be relatively sophisticated and balanced. It has civilian and military involvement, checks and balances between the participating institutions and a clear division of responsibility between the institutions. The system is based on a three-tier structure: the National Command Authority (NCA), the Strategic Plans Division (SPD) and the Services’ Strategic Forces Command (SSFC).
In this way, Pakistan has succeeded in establishing a comprehensive safety and security mechanism of its strategic assets. Objectively argued, Pakistan is committed to maintaining deterrence of all forms of aggression that can endanger Pakistan’s national security. Notably, Ambassador Zamir Akram, Advisor to the Strategic Plans Division, in his latest published book, The Security Imperative: Pakistan’s Nuclear Deterrence and Diplomacy, has astutely argued why the doctrine of nuclear deterrence is an inevitable security imperative for Pakistan.
Needless to say, India’s maleficence in Jammu and Kashmir and its shenanigans along the Line of Control (LoC); RAW’s terrorist intervention in Balochistan; India’s threat to unilaterally revoke the Indus Water Treaty (IWT) are the most driving factors– threatening Pakistan’s internal and external security. Pakistan’s deterrence strategy and force posture seem to be geared towards a worst-case scenario where India’s Cold Start Doctrine poses a constant threat to Pakistan’s national security.
Pakistan’s nuclear deterrence policy: For Pakistan, the full-spectrum deterrence doctrine (FSD) fundamentally assures ‘’a sound retaliation strategy against India’s massive retaliation doctrine accompanied with its counterforce strategy’’. In order to counter the Indian perceived Cold Start doctrine, Pakistan’s strategists adopted the doctrine of full spectrum deterrence (FSD). Basically the three elements of our full spectrum deterrence (FSD) being envisaged by Lt. General (R) Khalid Kidwai include: possession of “full spectrum of nuclear weapons in all three categories — strategic, operational and tactical, with full range coverage of the large Indian land mass and its outlying territories”. The second element says that Pakistan should have “appropriate weapons yield coverage and the numbers to deter the adversary’s pronounced policy of massive retaliation”. That virtually implies that “counter-massive retaliation punishment will be as severe if not more”. The third aspect is about the “liberty of choosing from a full spectrum of targets, notwithstanding the Ballistic Missile Defence, to include counter-value, counter-force and battlefield” targets.
Military use of nuclear weapons: There are four significant factors that justify the use of nuclear weapons: first, if the very existence of Pakistan as a state is at stake; India attacks Pakistan and conquers a large part of its territory (space threshold); second, India destroys a large part either of its land or air forces (military threshold); third, India proceeds to the economic strangling of Pakistan; and fourth, India pushes Pakistan into political destabilization or creates a large-scale internal subversion in Pakistan (domestic destabilization).
Moreover, Pakistan’s missile arsenal forms an important part of our defence strategy for offsetting the significant conventional military advantages of its main rival, India. Pakistan’s arsenal not only consists primarily of short, medium and long range capability (namely, Nasr, Ghauri, Ghaznavi, Abdali and Shaheen), but it is also making strides in its cruise missile capability (Babar and Taimur). Pakistan’s nuclear and missile programme is a national asset, which is jealously guarded by the State, having fool-proof and multi-layered security safeguards, duly certified by International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
And yet arguably, Pakistan’s development of tactical nuclear weapons (TNWs) — in the form of the Nasr missile, which has a 60-kilometer range — was, according to NCA’s Advisor Khalid Kidwai, in response to concerns that India’s larger military could still wage a conventional war against the country, arguing Pakistan would not risk retaliation with a bigger nuclear weapon.
Peaceful uses of nuclear energy: Nuclear energy is regarded as a relatively cheap source of power, particularly in those countries that lack sufficient oil, gas and coal deposits on the one hand and have no great hydro potential on the other. The most important feature of peaceful nuclear technology in the energy sector is an environment-friendly, economical and clean source of energy. The acquisition of nuclear energy not only tends to reduce their dependence upon external sources of energy but also lessens their budgetary pressures.
Pakistan’s growing energy needs indicate that without expanding its hydropower capability, it will be impossible for us to cope with the growing energy challenges. Currently, Pakistan has only six operational hydropower projects while as compared to Pakistan, India has 197 operational projects. Thus, Pakistan aims at expanding its hydropower potentials. And most importantly, time and again, the IAEA has appreciated the safety and security mechanisms of our nuclear sites and power plants. Recently, IAEA’s DG Rafael Grossi, shared the concern of climate change on Pakistan and how nuclear science and IAEA could support in helping the country.For decades Pakistan has been ranked as one of the 10 most vulnerable countries to climate change.
Noteworthy, the IAEA and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in coordination and consultation with Pakistani authorities developed an emergency support package to assist the country in applying nuclear science to better understand the flood’s impact on soils, crops and the potential spread of animal and zoonotic diseases.With the recent advancement in the nuclear medicine in the form of the manostics, efforts are in progress to escalate the novel field applications in Pakistan in line with the rest of the world.
